Smith vs. Sanchez Quarterback Duel Just Got Worse

Geno Smith’s first half at quarterback Saturday night in a preseason game included three interceptions, three three-and-outs and a touchdown.Credit
Ben Solomon for The New York Times

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It could have been worse for the Jets. Maybe Geno Smith could have thrown four interceptions in his first seven drives Saturday night against the Giants, instead of only three. Maybe Mark Sanchez could have shredded both knees, instead of just injuring his right shoulder, playing in the waning minutes of a meaningless game after appearing to secure the Jets’ starting quarterback position by virtue of Smith’s struggles.

Maybe Rex Ryan could have flashed two thumbs up while posing with the Snoopy trophy, awarded to the winner of the annual preseason game between the tenants of MetLife Stadium, instead of just remarking: “We’ll take Snoopy, too. I’m just happy to get the win.”

To get the win. The Jets prevailed, 24-21, in overtime, improving their regular-season record to 0-0.

The competition that had dragged on since April, when the Jets drafted Smith in the second round, seemed to have reached a merciful conclusion by halftime. Given a chance to impress, Smith faltered. He has promise, he is talented, but he is also raw — and, even considering Sanchez’s flaws, less of a viable option for now.

Not that the Jets would acknowledge as much even under less bizarre circumstances, but it seemed straightforward: Sanchez, by default, would retain his starting job, with Smith waiting to unseat him — eventually.

The timeline might have accelerated with about six minutes left in the fourth quarter, when Marvin Austin slammed into the right side of Sanchez, who had just released a pass, knocking him to the turf. He grabbed his shoulder, writhing for a bit, before scurrying off for X-rays.

The fact that Ryan sent Sanchez into the game, with 11:21 remaining and the Giants leading, 15-14, suggested two things. One, that he still needed to see Sanchez perform at a certain level to convince him that he deserved to start the season opener against Tampa Bay on Sept. 8. And two, that he was so possessed by the mantra of competition that he and John Idzik, the first-year general manager, have preached, that he prioritized victory, and that he was best served playing his presumptive Week 1 starter behind a second-team offensive line.

Why risk an injury to Sanchez by playing him, Ryan was asked.

“Well, why compete period?” he said. “We’re there to win. We had our starting offense out there for three quarters because we’re trying to win the game.”

Why weren’t the other first-stringers playing if you were trying to win the game, Ryan was asked.

“It’s my decision, and we’re going to compete,” he said. “We said we’re going to compete and watch that competition.”

Many absurd things have befallen this franchise in recent years, much of it — though not all — the Jets’ doing. On Saturday night, there was a moment late in Ryan’s news conference, soon after a reporter asked him if it was irresponsible to leave in Sanchez, when he turned his back to the news media when pressed whether Smith could still win the job. The Snoopy trophy sat off to the side.

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“I can say anything I want,” Ryan said. “That’s the beauty of this country. I can answer it 100 times. I can stand backwards and answer the question.”

And still, after all this, Ryan reiterated that they were no closer to deciding the starting quarterback. Making the simple difficult since 1963 — that could be the Jets’ motto.

Sanchez’s presence in the game — after Smith’s poor performance had effectively declared Sanchez triumphant — could be argued as an incredibly unwise decision. Ryan risked injury, and look what happened. It seemed that Matt Simms, who was speaking with the offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, would replace Smith, but Sanchez started to warm up hastily, and in he went. On his first play, he was drilled for a sack.

If it is determined that Sanchez, who is scheduled for a magnetic resonance imaging test Sunday, has a severe injury, it stands to reason that he would have a difficult chance of reclaiming his job from Smith upon his return. Sanchez’s clothes were still in his locker, but a team spokesman said that he had left the stadium.

The Jets drafted Smith to unseat Sanchez, much as they drafted Sanchez to emerge as a rookie, in 2009. They awarded Smith plenty of first-team snaps during training camp, including for all four days last week. They extended the competition so he could recoup playing time lost to a sprained ankle. They started him against the Giants in their most important preseason game, intent to give him as many snaps as possible.

Smith’s nine series before halftime consisted of three interceptions, three three-and-outs, a touchdown, a punt and the end of the half. After halftime, he led the Jets on a scoring drive against the Giants’ second-team defense, but he also showed a lack of awareness by stepping on the back line of the end zone, resulting in a safety. He passed for 199 yards, completing 16 of 30 attempts, and had a quarterback rating of 45.7.

A cynic might say that Sanchez put forth precisely this sort of night last season, and that is precisely the reason the Jets spent the 39th pick in the draft — when they had glaring needs at several positions — on a quarterback. There is no shame in Smith not looking ready to open the season as their starter. He was not necessarily supposed to be; it was just the Jets’ hope.

“As long as Rex and the committee are evaluating us,” Smith said, “I think I have a shot.”

By default, he probably does. The Jets went into Saturday night seeking clarity. In all likelihood, they found it. Just not in the way they hoped for.

Imagine if they had lost. Then it really would have been a bad night.

A version of this article appears in print on August 25, 2013, on Page SP11 of the New York edition with the headline: Smith vs. Sanchez Quarterback Duel Just Got Worse. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe